The moments you build together
become the legacy they carry forever.
Our families are under pressure.
Families can thrive, not just survive.
Here in Greater Rochester and across Monroe County, families are carrying more than ever — and the weight falls hardest on children. The data is clear, and it lives right in our own backyard.
THE CHALLENGE
WHAT WE ARE FACING
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41% of children in Rochester live in poverty — one of the highest child poverty rates among mid-size American cities. (Monroe County Child & Family Services Plan, 2025)
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43% of Monroe County households are facing financial hardship — either in poverty or in ALICE status (employed but unable to cover basic needs). (United Way / ACS 2023)
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Monroe County records 44.8 CPS investigations per 1,000 children — above the statewide average of 36.3. And yet 76% of those investigations are ultimately found to be unfounded, driven not by abuse but by the stress of poverty. (HOPE585 / Children's Agenda, 2025)
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Children who grow up under persistent stress show impaired cognitive development, limited social-emotional growth, and higher rates of mental health challenges — not because of who they are, but because of the conditions around them. (Monroe County CFS Plan, 2025)
Social and emotional development
is foundational for shaping
how children perform— across their entire lives.
— Children's Institute, Rochester, NY
WHAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT IT
ROOTS BEFORE BRANCHES
Legacy starts at home. We invest in the parent-child relationship first, because it's the single greatest predictor of a child's long-term outcomes.
CONNECTION AS CURRICULUM
Our events aren't just fun — they're structured to build the social and emotional skills that are foundational to child and family development.
STORIES THAT OUTLIVE US
We take legacy seriously. Every experience we design is built to be remembered, retold, and passed down —
a chapter in a family's story that gets told for decades.